This Is Where PetSmart Gets Its Animals, And It's Not Pretty

[Gill Blue]

and once again the ego kicks in.

“Self-awareness” refers to the capacity to become the object of one’s own attention. It occurs when an organism focuses not on the external environment, but on the internal milieu; it becomes a reflective observer, processing self-information. The organism becomes aware that it is awake and actually experiencing specific mental events, emitting behaviours, and possessing unique characteristics. A language-competent creature may thus verbalize “I feel tired,” “I’ve been working for three hours,” or “I am a good-looking, intelligent person.”

just because you can't recognize it in other species, you assume it doesn't exist. there are plenty of dogs that when they feel they've walked enough, will stop to rest, or played enough will stop playing. How is that not self awareness? I've done all I want to of this, I don't want to do it any more.

Tthere's research that shows this in other primate species, Chantek the orangutan that referred to himself as a person and other orangs as orange dogs? Self awareness and ego combined. How human of him.
How about saying he he had hurt feelings after being imprisoned? How do you express hurt feelings without self awareness?

How about capuchins that refuse to perform a task for a reward when they see other capuchins receiving a better reward for the same task? How can you feel slighted, feel you are being treated unfairly if you have no self awareness?
The same results occurred in chimps.
http://scienceblogs.com/primatediaries/2010/04/22/chimpanzees-prefer-fair-play-o/
All these behaviors are expressed in human children as indicators of self awareness, so why don't they indicate self awareness in other species?
Ego.

Self awareness is like intelligence, it's a function of the brain. As such it stands to reason that it will be more or less developed not just from species to species but also individual to individual within those species.

Even fish have a degree of self awareness, if you can recognize it. If they didn't, aggressive fish would always fight, they wouldn't be able to recognize that they are inferior to the fish that just kicked their ass.
If a person says "He is stronger than I am, I can't win so I'd better not fight." it's an introspection because of self awareness, why isn't the same realization, albeit it less complex, the same thing in a fish?
Some fish play, how can you play without some form of self awareness?

 

[Warborg]

Maybe we need to define the words better but when I hear the word self awareness I think of the asteroid example. How many creatures on this planet can look into the sky/or space and see an asteroid coming and understand the planet will/could be destroyed? The answer is only one.

There is no ego involved

 

[Gill Blue]

Maybe we need to define the words better but when I hear the word self awareness I think of the asteroid example. How many creatures on this planet can look into the sky/or space and see an asteroid coming and understand the planet will/could be destroyed? The answer is only one.

There is no ego involved

so you're saying we've only been self aware for the last 100 years?

 

[Thekid]

so you're saying we've only been self aware for the last 100 years?

What are your beliefs on the difference between complex thought and self awareness?

 

[Warborg]

so you're saying we've only been self aware for the last 100 years?

We've been aware a little longer then that as we have been mapping the stars for awhile.

Other examples would be how groups of people would prepare to wage war and defend themselves. Again, only one species does this.

 

[jaws7777]

If a person says "He is stronger than I am, I can't win so I'd better not fight." it's an introspection because of self awareness, why isn't the same realization, albeit it less complex, the same thing in a fish??

Yes but as you state this fish woll eventually stop....humans dont always stop aggression/fighting because they feel they are stronger..ie bullies

Humans sometimes go further than just being stronger and forcing their for into submission because of emotions like anger and frustration or just conscious thought if enjoying what they are doing

 

[Gill Blue]

We've been aware a little longer then that as we have been mapping the stars for awhile.

Other examples would be how groups of people would prepare to wage war and defend themselves. Again, only one species does this.

you're actually confusing self awareness with education. there are plenty of people that have no idea on how an asteroid impact would affect us, are they not self aware because they aren't educated in space debris?

as far as your war example...
http://www.naturalnews.com/044451_war_chimpanzees_animal_behavior.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/22/science/22chimp.html?_r=0
http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2009/05/20/amazing-microsocieties-ants-vs-termites/
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/...fare-hives-australia-insects-animals-science/


just because we've learned better ways to make wars, doesn't mean we are the only ones to do so. There's another species of monkey I can't remember right now that raid nearby tribes for females, a long favored pastime for humans throughout history.

 

[pops]

some ants steal other types of ants eggs to make them into slaves, does this make that ant aware? Or is a instinctual behavior. they protect there nests. have raiding parties. again only meant to say no matter the species, you can not remove the nature of the beast, all beasts, including us. we control for as long as it suits our needs, just like any other species.

 

[pops]

and the whole awareness thing, we are aware of our own mortality, we know we are going to die, all religion is based on that fear.

 

[jaws7777]

When these ants start using AR-15's then i'll be impressed

lmao

and the whole awareness thing, we are aware of our own mortality, we know we are going to die, all religion is based on that fear.